Rifflandia

A four-day, multi-venue festival in Victoria, British Columbia, Rifflandia — launched in 2008 — caters to fans of all persuasions, from indie rock to hip-hop, electronic and punk. The Royal Athletic Park was introduced as their flagship venue in 2011, with Artlandia instalments, Lafflandia (comedy!), Rifflandia magazine and even a Rifflandiabrau beer made by locals Phillips Brewery all adding significant draw.

Noisy, raw acts like grunge heroine Courtney Love in 2013 and Toronto punk duo Death From Above 1979 in 2014 have headlined the bill, as have Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti and the Flaming Lips. Mash-up artist Girl Talk closed the 2014 festival with reams of toilet paper shooting over the dense crowd, and queer rap icon Mykki Blanco spit some smart rhymes in white lingerie in 2013. With dub master Lee “Scratch” Perry and highly acclaimed DJ Shadow also on past bills, Rifflandia is potentially one of the most balanced festivals when it comes to genre. To boot, the return of night venue Electric Avenue promises more in hip-hop and electronic acts for future years to come.